Neon and like inert gas lighting systems which utilize high voltage molecular excitation to activate the gas contained therein are very popular for the identification of businesses, governmental agencies, and like establishments because they provide a brilliant, attractive, and attention getting visual effect. With the increased use and complexity of such signs (herein referred to generally as "neon signs"), there is a need to simplify wiring and structural requirements so that they may be more easily installed, maintained and repaired.
The manufacture and maintenance of neon lighting systems is presently governed by regulations directed to structural integrity and safety. Inert gas excitation provides the color and light associated with so called neon signs which consist of evacuated tubing which is filled with neon or other inert gas to provide the desired color(s) and brilliancy when subjected to a high voltage discharge. The high voltages required to produce the desired lighting effect has heretofore required the use of sturdy structures made from dielectric materials to contain the high voltage. See; Paragraph 600-8A of the National Electric Code (NEC) 1984 edition. Currently commercial light units suffer from frequent deterioration or fracture of the wire. The presence of an open or broken wire is a relatively common occurrence which usually requires the services of a journeyman electrician to locate and replace. The laborious tracing of the circuitry to locate and isolate the defective wire and replace it inevitably requires the system to be completely rebalanced in order to reestablish the original color and brightness of the display.
Heretofor when several letters or characters make up a given display, a plurality of cable members, each adapted to have a P-K style metallic glass lined electrode housing mounted on each end thereof, had to be cut precisely to size, strung through the flex cable or electrometallic tubing, the P-K style housing and carefully and individually secured to the electrode contact at each end thereof. Next, the electrode housing at one end of the cable would be inserted in the socket provided by one letter and the housing at the other end thereof would be connected in a similar manner to the adjacent letter. This operation would be repeated until the entire sequence of characters was connected in series. The transformer associated therewith to produce the 2,000-15,000 volts required in the secondary circuit, would be connected at one terminal to the letter or character first in the sequence and at the other terminal, to the letter last in the sequence to complete the circuit. This process was extremely tricky and tedious, because if the cable is cut a bit too short it was wasted and if it is cut a bit too long, it bunched and became a prime site for a subsequent short.
When a "short" developed in such a wiring scheme, the sign either flickered or went dark. Each cable segment then had to be methodically jumped out, i.e., an auxiliary cable was extended between adjacent electrodes until the offending segment was identified. The defective segment was then removed and replaced. When the procedure did not reveal a defective cable segment, then the individual characters or letters were tested by grounding out the individual circuits to see if they glow. This procedure was time consuming, tedious and, because of the possible need to create new cable segments and mount electrode housings thereto, a journeyman electrician was required to complete the "trouble shoot".
Thus it is apparent that a definite need exists to find better means and methods to wire such high voltage inert gas lighting systems and it is toward that need that the present invention is directed.